On the night of 21 October 2026, Russian forces launched a massive attack using strike drones on the village of Korotych in the Kharkiv district. Two elderly people were killed in the attack — an 81-year-old woman and an 83-year-old man. A further 11 local residents suffered acute stress reactions, including a two-month-old boy and an eight-year-old girl.
Russian drones attacked residential buildings in Korotychi during the night
On the night of Tuesday 20 October, the Russian army launched a massive drone strike on the village of Korotych near Kharkiv. The main damage was sustained in the private residential area, where houses and outbuildings were damaged as a result of the strikes.
Photographs released by the State Emergency Service of Kharkiv Oblast show a destroyed building, collapsed floors, a damaged roof and a large amount of rubble. Rescue workers were working amongst the ruins after dark, using special lighting.
According to preliminary reports from the regional military administration, at least 13 private homes and one car were damaged as a result of the attack. A separate outbuilding was destroyed by fire.
A man and a woman were killed under the rubble
The most tragic consequence of the shelling was the death of two civilians. According to the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, the victims of the Russian attack were an 81-year-old woman and an 83-year-old man.
The State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported that rescue workers had recovered the bodies of the victims from beneath the rubble of the collapsed building. During the operation, specialists dismantled the damaged structures and surveyed the site of the impact. No official details have been provided regarding the circumstances surrounding the victims’ presence in the building.
Among the 11 injured are a two-month-old baby and an eight-year-old girl
According to the head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration Oleg Sinegubov, as a result of the overnight shelling, a further 11 people experienced an acute stress reaction.
Among those affected were a two-month-old boy and an eight-year-old girl. Medical staff provided assistance to everyone who needed it.
An acute stress reaction may occur following a traumatic event, such as explosions, the destruction of one’s home or an immediate threat to life. It is not necessarily accompanied by physical injuries, but may require medical attention.
The regional administration’s morning report does not contain any specific details regarding the hospitalisation of the injured or whether they sustained any other injuries.
Russia continues to launch attacks on Kharkiv and the surrounding region
The attack on Korotych took place against a backdrop of regular of Russian shelling settlements in the Kharkiv region.
The day before, on 20 October, Russian forces launched a missile strike on a residential area in the Novobavarskyi district of Kharkiv. According to reports from the regional prosecutor’s office and local authorities, nine people were injured as a result of the attack.
At that time, two private residential buildings were completely destroyed, whilst other homes, power lines, cars and a civilian business premises were damaged.
